| Family Ptilichthyidae - Quillfish | ||||
| Order | : | Perciformes/Zoarcoidei |
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| Class | : | Teleostei | ||
| No. in FishBase | : | Genera : 1 | Species : 1 Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes | ||
| Environment | : | Fresh : No | Brackish : No | Marine : Yes | ||
| Division | : | Marine | ||
| Aquarium | : | none | ||
| First Fossil Record | : | |||
| Remark | : | Distribution: Northern North Pacific. Body extremely slender and elongate; dorsal and anal fins long and tall giving the fish the appearance of a bird's wing feather, or writing quill. Head small, 4-7% of body length, with a broad fleshy appendage at the symphysis of the lower jaw. Dorsal fin starts at nape and comprises 79-90 isolated, low spines followed by 130-157 soft rays. Anal fin begins far forward (at about 30% of standard length) with 166-196 soft rays. Dorsal and anal fins confluent with much reduced caudal fin and, with growth of fish, fleshy extension of tail which becomes relatively longer and almost filamentous. Pectoral fins rounded, with 11-13 rays. Pelvic fins and girdle absent. One pair of nostrils (posterior absent). Scales cycloid, very small and scattered; or absent. Mechanosensory canals of the head reduced, remaining canals with few pores: nasal 1, interorbital 1, postorbital 1, preopercular 3, mandibular 2. Trunk lateral line canal absent, superficial neuromasts presumed present. Jaw teeth closely set, uniserial, with sharp conical tips; vomerine and palatine teeth absent. Gill membranes broadly united, free from the isthmus. Gill rakers as low, stout nubs. Branchiostegal rays 5-7. Pyloric caeca and swim bladder absent. Vertebrae 222-240. Yellow or orange to greenish gray, somewhat translucent; dark streak along body and others on head in preserved specimens. Attains up to 39 cm length not including caudal filament. Found at depths to 360 m or more, typically at shallower depths over the middle and inner continental shelf. May burrow in sand and mud during the day, but their daytime behavior is not known with certainty. Migrate at night to the surface to feed and are attracted by lights to docks and boats. | ||
| Etymology | : | Greek, ptylon = feather + Greek, ichthys = fish ( Ref. 45335). | ||
| Reproductive guild | : | |||
| Typical activity level | : | |||
Main Ref. |
: | Mecklenburg, C.W. 2003 | ||
| Coordinator | : | |||
Deep Fin Classification
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: | Osteichthyes | Actinopterygii | Actinopteri | Neopterygii | Teleostei | Osteoglossocephalai | Clupeocephala | Euteleosteomorpha | Neoteleostei | Eurypterygia | Ctenosquamata | Acanthomorphata | Acanthopterygii | Percomorphaceae | Eupercaria | | | Perciformes | Cottoidei | Zoarcales | Ptilichthyidae | ||
Important recommendation:
The list below must not be used as an authority reference synonymy list like those found in scientific published revisions, which must be the source to be used and cited eventually when they exist.
Rather, it reflects the current content of FishBase, and the progress with respect to synchronization with the Catalog of Fishes. However, we think it can be useful for users to assess the quality of information in FishBase, to start new work on the family, or to cross-check with other lists.
But we appreciate to be cited in publications when this list has been of any working value. In particular, for published scientific, we suggest then to cite it in the Material and Method section as a useful tool to conduct the research, but again, not as a taxonomic or nomenclatural authority reference.
Unless it is explicitly precised, the list is not complete, please search all original names published for the family in the Catalog of Fishes (genera, species), including those with uncertain or unknown status, that are not included in FishBase when they are not attached to a valid species.
This list uses some data from Catalog of Fishes (not shown but used to sort names).
The list ordered as follows:
- When subfamilies are recognized, nominotypical subfamily first then other subfamilies by alphabetical order.
- Type genus of the family first (or of subfamily when subfamilies are recognized) then other genera by chronological order of description (and alphabetical order).
- Type species of the genus first by chronological order (and alphabetical order), with last listed misapplied names in a light gray font.
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Please send comments and corrections if you detect errors or missing names.
| Scientifc name | Status | Senior/Junior synonym | Combination |
|---|---|---|---|
Ptilichthys goodei Bean, 1881 | accepted | senior | original |